Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a stark warning following a significant cyber attack that led to the theft of personal data from nearly half of Australia’s population. The electronic prescriptions provider MediSecure revealed on Thursday that 12.9 million customers had their data stolen, with some of it already appearing on the dark web.
“This is a very significant cyber event,” Mr Albanese stated in Cairns on Friday. “It’s not the first and it won’t be the last. We know some state actors and criminal elements, both locally and internationally, have been involved.”
The government is collaborating with the Australian Federal Police and the private sector to address the national security and privacy concerns arising from the breach. Australians have been urged not to respond to unsolicited messages about the data breach, as these could be scam attempts.
The recent attack on MediSecure is part of a troubling pattern, with similar breaches affecting Western Sydney University staff, Victorian government data, and millions of customers from companies like Optus, Ticketmaster, and Medibank.
MediSecure first became aware of the breach on April 13 when suspected ransomware was discovered on a server containing sensitive personal and health data. The attack was publicly confirmed in May. The breach has affected Australians who used the prescription delivery service from March 2019 to November 2023, with 6.5 terabytes of data compromised. This includes names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare numbers, prescription information, and reasons for medication. Despite the exposure of a data sample on the dark web, MediSecure has stated it cannot identify specific individuals impacted due to the complexity and cost involved.
The company went into administration in June and has since ceased its investigation into the incident. However, the Australian Federal Police continues to investigate. MediSecure has assured that there is no impact on the current national prescription delivery service, and people should continue accessing their medications as usual.
The Australian Government has updated its advice to help citizens protect themselves. This advice includes not seeking out stolen data on the dark web, as this only fuels cybercriminal activities and can be illegal. Australians are urged to be vigilant against scams referencing the MediSecure breach and to avoid responding to unsolicited contact.
Simple steps to enhance online security include setting up multi-factor authentication, using strong and unique passphrases, and regularly installing software updates. More detailed advice can be found at the government’s cybersecurity website.
This breach underscores the increasing threat of cyber attacks and the importance of heightened cybersecurity measures for both individuals and organisations.
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